“Dear children! These days I am calling you to family prayer. I have been giving you messages in God’s name many times, but you did not listen to me. This Christmas will be an unforgettable day for you provided you accept the messages I am giving you. Dear children, do not allow this Day of Joy to become for me a day of deepest sorrow. Thank you for responding to my call.”

FIRST STEP: FAMILY PRAYER

STARTING THURSDAY, 6 NOV 2008 & repeat 4 DEC 2008

1st day: Matthew 6:24. (Thursday)God or money: Decision for God.

Matthew 6:24.
24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Luke 8:19-21.
19 Then his mother and his brethren came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he said to them, “My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Cf. Luke 11:28.
28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

3rd day: Luke 6:46-49. (Saturday)The disciple of Jesus listens to his words and acts upon them. Cf. James 1:22-25.

Luke 6:46-49.
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Cf. James 1:22-25.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.

4th day: Luke 2:41-52. (Sunday)The example of Jesus and of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Luke 2:41-52.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; 43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; 47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers 48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 49 And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man.

5th day: Deuteronomy 6:4-9. (Monday) Teaching the love of God and all his laws in the home. Cf. Deuteronomy 11:18-21.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; 5 and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Cf. Deuteronomy 11:18-21.
18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20 And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

6th day: 1 Peter 1:6-9. (Tuesday)The joy of believing without seeing, even in times of trial. Cf. John 20:27-29.

1 Peter 1:6-9.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. 9 As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.

Cf. John 20:27-29.
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

7th day: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16. (Wednesday)Accepting the message as God’s message, even when it may bring suffering. Cf. Luke 2:35.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all men 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved - so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!

Cf. Luke 2:35.
35 And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

SUGGESTION

PRACTICAL:
Showing patience and love towards difficult members of our family or community.